Survey shows more residents fear Yucca Mountain impact

Thursday, April 27, 2006 | 7:13 a.m.

A recent Clark County survey shows that more residents than ever fear that the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository will negatively affect their quality of life.

The survey - the results of which county officials will make public in a few days - revealed that more than two-thirds of the randomly surveyed 609 residents fear that Yucca will harm their quality of life. That's up from 59 percent in a survey taken last summer.

About one-third of the respondents also said they disagree that the Energy Department can be trusted to ensure the public's safety in terms of transportation and storage of nuclear waste.

Beyond the disposition of their constituents, Clark County commissioners have personal reasons to be concerned about the Energy Department's plan to ship radioactive waste to Yucca Mountain, said Robert Halstead, transportation adviser to the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects.

He told former Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., and other members of the state board Wednesday that the federal government's preferred rail route would result in the Clark County Government Center getting zapped with low levels of radiation.

That's because at least 6 percent of the shipments - and potentially up to 89 percent - would run through downtown Las Vegas, next to the Government Center, on the Union Pacific mainline, he said.

Although transport containers are designed to hold in radioactivity, a small amount escapes, Halstead said, resulting in "measurable doses of radiation" equivalent to one or two medical X-rays within about a half-mile of the tracks.

As County Commissioner Myrna Williams' eyes got big, Halstead attempted to reassure the group.

"Mainstream medical thinking is that these very small doses are not significant," he said. "We would not expect significant health effects."

His concern, however, is with "the perception of risk and the ability to maintain a robust gaming and tourism economy This will definitely have an impact on property values."

Clark County Recorder Fran Deane could learn whether she will be charged with a felony count of misconduct of a public official as early as this week.

"We are getting ready to submit a package to the district attorney," said Metro Capt. Kathleen Suey. "It's not that we don't have enough evidence. It's just a huge amount of documents to go through."

Police raided Deane's home and office last month, hauling away computer information and boxes of records.

Police suspect Deane of removing documents from her office and selling copies to businesses.

Among the public documents on file at the recorder's office are those involving real property transactions. Knowledge of the transactions in advance of their public filing would give various businesses an advantage over competitors.

Some payments were allegedly given to Deane in a stuffed animal or doll, Suey said.

"That is some information we recovered and we are attempting to confirm," she said.

Despite the investigation, Deane has continued to show up for work, according to Susan Wohlbrandt, a spokeswoman for the office.

Deane has not returned several calls from the Sun.

Now that County Commissioner Tom Collins is chairman of the state Democratic Party, will there be changes afoot?

The short answer from Collins is: Nope.

"I'm going to continue doing good things for government," said Collins, 55, who was elected chairman at the Nevada Democratic Party Convention over the weekend.

Some progressives feel that Collins' election was a vote for the status quo in the party.

Collins, who replaces outgoing Chairwoman Adriana Martinez, doesn't seem to dispute that.

Asked what he would do differently than Martinez, Collins said: "It's all about unity, so there's no difference."

"I'd already been doing things the chairman does, so I just felt like I could step up and do it," he added.

Despite largely sticking with the same game plan, Collins said his election as state chairman "means that we're going to win more races than in the past."

Getting more registered Democrats to vote will be one of the keys, he said.

A former finalist in bareback riding at the National Senior Pro Rodeo Finals who is as likely to don a cowboy hat and plaid shirt as a suit and tie, "Cowboy" Collins does differ with his predecessor in one significant way - his shoot-'em-out-on-Main-Street style.

Collins fired several rounds during President Bush's fundraising stop for Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., at the Venetian earlier this week, telling the press that Bush "should be ashamed to come to Nevada" and calling Porter "a puppet."